Real Madrid make decision after being offered deal to sign Liverpool star next summer: Reports

Real Madrid have reportedly declined the offer to sign Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in the summer transfer window, according to Jorge Picon of Relevo. The Dutch skipper's contract with the Reds will expire this summer.

The report claims that Virgil van Dijk's agent offered the Dutch defender to Real Madrid. However, Los Blancos denied the offer as they didn't see Virgil van Dijk as a part of their plans. Due to the injuries of Eder Militao and David Alaba, the LaLiga giants are keen on signing new defenders in winter. Antonio Rudiger and laba will be 32 and 33 at the start of the next season, respectively. They seek a long-term partner for Eder Militao.

Virgil van Dijk is among the best defenders in Europe. He has played 25 games for the Reds this season, bagging two goals and one assist across all competitions. The 33-year-old has also helped Liverpool keep 13 clean sheets, maintaining the top spot in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

Los Blancos are reportedly also monitoring Arsenal's William Saliba, Inter Milan's Alessandro Bastoni, Bayer Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah, Al-Nassr's Aymeric Laporte, and RC Lens' Abdukodir Khusanov.

---

Liverpool captain says Trent Alexander-Arnold's links with Real Madrid didn't impact his form against Manchester United

West Ham United FC v Liverpool FC - Premier League - Source: Getty

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has said that Trent Alexander-Arnold's performance against Manchester United wasn't impacted by his links with Real Madrid. After defeating Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford in the first half of the season, Ruben Amorim's side drew against United at Anfield on Sunday, January 5.

Despite being the heavy favorites to win the match, the Reds had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Multiple problems were outlined behind the draw as Van Dijk wasn't happy dropping points in a home fixture. However, one major issue was Trent Alexander-Arnold's poor performance.

The Englishman made zero tackles, lost all five duels, and completed no accurate crosses. Van Dijk was asked if the speculations had affected Alexander-Arnold's performance, and he said (via BBC Sport):

"No, I'm fine with it. Trent has his own people around him, his family and we are there as well. He wants to perform in the best way possible like we all do. That is the main focus."

Last week, multiple reports stated that Liverpool rejected Real Madrid's approach to sign the Englishman. The contracts of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk will expire this summer.